The Potions Master and the Ravenclaw

"Hard To Imagine Snape Loving Someone "

Thursday had finally arrived and Madeline made her way down to the Black Lake for another lesson in elemental magic. Snape, McGonagall, and Dumbledore were already there.

Snape watched her approach and his heart leapt, as it always did when he saw her. His dark angel.

When she reached them, she greeted them all, but couldn't tear her gaze from Snape. His eyes were locked onto hers, as well.

"Alright, Severus. Go ahead and give her a kiss and have it over with. Neither of you will ever be able to concentrate if you don't. Go on. No one's looking." Dumbledore chuckled, his blue eyes twinkling.

McGonagall tried to hide a smile of her own.

Snape gave them both a disdainful look, but turned to Madeline, tipped her chin with his finger, and pressed a sweet, chaste kiss on her lips. She blushed but reached for his hand and squeezed it.

"Now that we've got that out of the way, do you think we can get on with the lesson?" McGonagall said tartly.

As had become their habit, the three professors worked together to develop, support, and encourage Madeline's considerable talent for elemental magic. She was getting stronger and stronger and gaining more control with each session, but she was physically so small in stature, it drained her energy considerably to sustain it for hours. Dumbledore was pushing her to her limits -harder than ever before- and Snape feared, as always, that it was too much. He had promised her he wouldn't interfere, so he fought the urge to stop it. He was even more pale than usual and stood close by with clenched fists.

McGonagall sensed his struggle and laid a gentle hand on his arm. "She's strong, Severus. And she's learning. Let it go. Albus would never let her come to any harm. You know that."

"If she loses consciousness again, Minerva? What then? School is in session. I can't bring her to my quarters."

"We'll take to her to Poppy. She'll be perfectly fine. And so will you. She didn't faint last time. Maybe she'll remain conscious today as well."

Snape scowled. "I doubt she will. He's pushing her too hard. Harder than ever. I can feel it. It's too much."

Then he saw her eyes close and her wand tumbled from her fingers. He rushed to catch her and took her up in his arms as she swooned.

"Carry her to the hospital wing, Severus. Poppy can revive her. You should not stay with her. It will be too obvious that there's something between you. Anyone who looks at the two of you can see it. Minerva, go with them so it won't look suspicious," Dumbledore directed.

McGonagall followed Snape as he carried Madeline to the castle. There were whispers from all the students who saw the Potions Master carrying the Head Girl unconscious in his arms, but he ignored them. McGonagall gave stern looks to any whose eyes lingered too long on the sight.

When they entered the hospital wing, he laid her down on the nearest empty bed and McGonagall went to get Madam Pomfrey. There were several other students on the ward, so Snape wasn't able to kiss her, touch her, whisper to her, hold her hand as he so longed to do. He stood by her bed with a stony expression on his face until Madam Pomfrey and McGonagall arrived.

She still hadn't opened her eyes and Snape knew he'd go mad watching her lying in the bed without being able to hold her.

"Get her warm Poppy. She's shivering. She always gets so cold. Minerva, will you stay with her for a moment? I'm going to find her friends so they can sit with her. She should at least have someone here with her if I'm not allowed to stay."

McGonagall nodded and Madam Pomfrey began to work. Snape turned and left the hospital ward, cloak flying behind him.

...